Remotely activated illuminator for a shoulder fired firearm

ABSTRACT

An illumination system for a shoulder fired firearm includes an illuminator, such as a laser sight, which is wirelessly activated by a user control remote from the illuminator.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to shoulder fired firearms such as rifles, shotguns and submachine guns and, more particularly, to an apparatus for a shoulder fired firearm enabling remote activation of a laser sight or other device.

Demand for laser sights and other firearm mounted illuminating devices has increased substantially. It is estimated that 85% of firearm discharges by police occur at night or under other low light conditions, such as in a dimly or unlit building. Likewise, there has been increased military emphasis on urban and nighttime warfare. Laser sights and other illumination systems are also used by hunters; competition shooters; military, police and other firearm trainers and by garners, such as paint ball and airsoft gun enthusiasts. An illuminator for a firearm typically comprises a laser sight; a flashlight, also known as a tactical light, or a combination of a laser sight and a flashlight.

When installed on a shoulder fired firearm such as a rifle, shotgun or submachine gun, the illuminator may be mounted below, alongside or on top of the barrel, commonly in front of the forestock; on top of the firearm's receiver or on a telescopic sight. Typically, the illuminator is clamped to the barrel of the firearm or engaged with a mounting rail, such as a Picatinny rail, which is, in turn attached to the firearm.

Illuminators are typically activated by a switch or a plurality of switches which are either mounted on the body of the illuminator or on an activating pad that is attached to the illuminator. To actuate a switch on the illuminator's body, the firearm's user must move one hand from the stock of the firearm to the illuminator's body, locate and activate the illuminator and return the hand to the stock. In tactical situations, the user may be vulnerable during and following activation of the illuminator because the firearm is not in a ready to use condition and movement of the firearm while the user is activating the illuminator may require reacquisition of a target.

To reduce the amount of movement required to activate a firearm mounted illuminator, the illuminator may be incorporated into a mounting that includes a vertical handgrip arranged for grasping with the firearm supporting hand. The switches for the illuminator typically are incorporated in the handgrip enabling activation of the illuminator without relinquishing support of the firearm. However, to activate the illuminator the user must have both hands on the firearm making activation of the illuminator difficult when the user is repelling, moving an object for a better view, or opening a door with the non-firing hand or has injured one hand. In addition, the handgrip is typically mounted under the barrel of the firearm and near the forestock to provide a comfortable, stable, supportive grip for the user which can interfere with the installation of a bi-pod to aid the shooter, particularly when firing from the prone position.

To further improve the utility of shoulder fired firearm mounted illuminators, the illuminator may be activated by a switch that is part of an activating pad attached to the firearm in a location remote from the illuminator. The activating pad is commonly attached to the firearm's forestock for operation with the supporting hand or attached to the grip portion of the stock for operation by the firing hand. The remote activating pad is typically attached to the firearm by an adhesive or may be attached by a hook and loop fastener enabling easy removal when the illuminator is detached from the firearm. While the remote activating pad can be mounted in a position that is more convenient for the user, the switches in the activating pad are connected to the illuminator by a cable which may snag on obstacles in the environment interfering with movement of the firearm; giving away the shooter's location; separating the activating pad from the firearm; or pulling the illuminator out of position.

What is desired, therefore, is an apparatus for activating an illuminator for a shoulder fired firearm, such as a rifle, shotgun or submachine gun, that enables operation of the firearm, including activation of the illuminator with a single hand, and reduces the likelihood of detrimental interaction between the firearm and its surroundings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a rifle with an attached illumination system.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a remotely activated illumination system.

FIG. 3 is an elevation view of a portion of a stock of a shoulder fired firearm including firing handgrip.

FIG. 4 is an elevation view of a shotgun with an attached illumination system.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of an activation method for an illumination system.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a second embodiment of a remotely activated illumination system.

FIG. 7 is an elevation view of a firearm including an illuminator activation pad.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring in detail to the drawings where similar parts are identified by like reference numerals, and, more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 4, a rifle 20, a shotgun 84, submachine gun or other shoulder fired firearm is commonly equipped with a laser sight 22, a flashlight 24, also known as a tactical light, or both, individually and collectively referred to herein as an illuminator. An illuminator may emit light of one or more wavelengths including light in the visible and infrared spectra and may emit light at a single, continuous intensity; a varying intensity or intermittently, such as a strobe light. As illustrated in FIG. 1, an illuminator 22, 24 is commonly mounted under the barrel 26 and in front of the forestock 28 of a shoulder fired firearm. However, the laser sight, the tactical light or both are often mounted on the side of the barrel, above the barrel, on the receiver or adjacent to a telescopic sight on the firearm. The illuminator may be clamped to the barrel of the firearm but is often mounted on a rail which is, in turn, attached to the firearm. For example, a Picatinny rail system comprises a T-shaped rail attached to the firearm which is engageable by a complementary “rail grabber” on the illuminator, telescopic sight or other firearm mountable accessory.

Illuminators are typically activated by a switch or a plurality of switches which are incorporated in the body of the illuminator or a handgrip extending from the body of the illuminator or in an activating pad that is attached to the illuminator by a cable and temporarily affixed to the firearm. To actuate a switch on the body of an illuminator, a user must have two hands on the firearm and must move one hand to the body of the illuminator and then back to the ready to fire position. A handgrip mounted switch similarly requires the user to have both hands on the firearm to activate the illuminator but does not require the user to release the firearm while reaching for a switch. Reaching can also be reduced by using an activating pad that can be mounted remote from the body of the illuminator in a position that is convenient to the user's hands. The activation pad can be affixed to the stock or the receiver enabling activation of the illuminator without moving the firearm supporting hand or the firing hand. However, the cable connecting the switches of the activating pad and the illuminator can interfere with the operation of the firearm. The cable can snag on obstacles interfering with movement of the firearm, giving away the user's position or causing detachment of the activating pad or misalignment of the illuminator. The inventor concluded that activating an illuminator with a device that was not physically connected to the illuminator would enable locating the activating switch or other activating transducer in a position convenient for the user and would eliminate a potential source of interference with the operation of the firearm.

Referring to FIG. 2, the wireless illumination system 50 comprises, generally, a receiving unit 52, a transmission unit 54, one or more activating transducers 69 and one or more illuminators 56, 58. Typical illuminators are a flashlight 56, also known as a tactical light, for general illumination and a laser sight 58. However, an illuminator may be any other type of light emitter, such as a strobe light. An illuminator with two or more lights, such as a flashlight and a laser sight may be secured to a shoulder fired firearm, such as a rifle, a shotgun or a submachine gun as a unitary assembly or the light emitters may be separately mounted on the firearm. Flashlights and the laser sights are commonly mounted under, above or alongside the barrel of the firearm but are also commonly mounted on the receiver 30 of the firearm or adjacent to a telescopic sight.

The transmission unit 54 comprises, generally, a power source 60, a transmitter 62 and a controller 64. Referring also to FIG. 7, the transmission unit 54 may be included in an activation pad 250 temporarily attached to the firearm in a location convenient to the user by, for example, a hook-and-loop fastener or by an adhesive or the transmission unit may be incorporated into the structure of the firearm. By way of examples only, referring to FIG. 3, the transmission unit 54, including the power source 60, may be built into a firing handgrip 73 attached to the firearm or incorporated as part of the stock of the firearm or, referring to FIG. 4, the transmission unit 54 may built into or attached to a cover plate 82 of the firearm's receiver or built into the firearm's stock 32. The user interface of the illumination system comprises one or more function transducers 69. The function transducers may be switches 70, such as the function switches 70A, 70B, 71A, 71B but could be any form of transducer capable of converting a user input to a signal to the transmission unit, such as a capacitive or resistive sensor. Function transducer may be located on either side or both sides of the firearm for convenient activation by either hand. For example, function switches 70A, 70B may be located on one side of the firing handgrip 75 and function switches 71A, 71B may be located on the opposite side of the hand grip enabling the user to operate the firearm and the illuminator with either hand as dictated by a tactical situation or desired shooting position. A selector 73 permits the user to select which pair of function switches 70A, 70B, or switches 71A, 71B is active.

The receiving unit 52 may be attached to or included in the mounting for the illuminator(s) or may be incorporated into an illuminator. The illuminators 56, 58 and the receiving unit may each be powered by its own power source 88, 86, and 78, respectively; the illuminators may be powered by a power source for the receiving unit or the receiving unit may be powered by the power source(s) of one or more illuminators.

The transmitter 62 is preferably a radio-frequency transmitter but could be another wireless signal emitter such as an infra-red light emitter or an ultrasound emitter. The power source 60 for the transmission unit and the power source 78 of the receiving unit are typically batteries but could be any other compact power source such as a super capacitor or fuel cell.

The controller 64 of the transmission unit preferably includes an encoder 66. The controller and the encoder preferably respond to actuation of a function transducer 69 by encoding a data frame that is transmitted to the receiving unit 52 by the transmitter 62. The data frame includes a function code corresponding to the function switch 70A, 71A, 70B, 71B that has been actuated and indicating to the receiving unit which function is to be activated. For example, a first push of a function switch may produce a function code applying power to an illuminator and a second push of the function switch may encode a function to interrupt power to the illuminator. Preferably, the encoder also encodes a security code such as a hopping code with each data frame. A hopping code comprises a security code word encrypted by an algorithm that renders the code word unique for each transmission. Referring also to FIG. 5, the transmission unit controller checks the state of the function switch(es) 102. Each time a function switch is activated 102, the encoder fetches a security code stored in the encoder 104. The controller assembles a data frame 106 comprising the security code and the appropriate function code which is, typically, encrypted, and then sent to the transmitter for transmission 108. After the controller outputs the data frame the encoder, using the hopping code algorithm, increments the security code and stores a new value for the security code 110. With the next actuation of a function switch, the encoder will encode the data frame with the new security code.

When a transmission is received 120 by the receiver 72 of the receiving unit 52, it is transmitted to the receiving unit's controller 74 which preferably comprises a decoder 76. The decoder decrypts the data frame 122 comprising the transmission and compares 126 the security code in the data frame to a security code stored by the controller 124. If the security code in the transmitted data frame equals the stored security code 126, the transmitted data frame is declared valid and the function code in the data frame is decoded 128. If the function code is valid, the controller outputs an activation signal to cause the specified function to be performed 130. The activation signal may cause an activation transducer, for example an activation switch 80, 82, to connect or to disconnect the appropriate illuminator 56, 58 from its power source 86, 88 or to otherwise change a characteristic, for example, resistance, effecting the output of an illuminator. If the security code included in a transmission does not agree with the security code stored in the decoder, the transmission is rejected and the function designated in the transmission is not performed.

The decoder applies the same algorithm as was applied by the encoder to the security code received with the transmission to generate a new security code which is stored in anticipation of the next transmission 132. While the new security code will appear to an outsider to be randomly generated, the application of the same algorithm to the security code in both the controller of the transmission unit and the controller of the receiving unit will result in identical new security codes to be applied by both of the controllers to the next transmission. Since the hopping code changes with each transmission, the receiving unit's controller will reject a security code that is transmitted in sequential transmissions preventing interference with the operation of the illuminator by a person who might intercept transmissions from the firearm.

Referring to FIG. 6, in another embodiment of a wireless illumination system 150 each illuminator 152, 172 includes its own receiving unit 154, 174, respectively. Each receiving unit comprises a receiver 156, 176 and a controller 154, 174 which includes a decoder 160, 180. The transmission unit 200 comprises plural controllers 202, 206 including, respectively, encoders 204, 208 enabling a separate security code for each illuminator 152, 172. However, the transmission unit might incorporate a single controller controlling a single encoder capable of processing and storing separate security codes for the respective illuminators 152, 172 or a single controller controlling plural encoders, each providing a security code for one of the plural illuminators. The transmission unit 200 also comprises a transmitter 210 to transmit signals to the receivers 156, 176 of the illuminators and a power supply 212 which is typically a battery but might be any compact power source.

The transmission unit 200 comprises a single function switch 214 for the controller 202 and plural function switches 216 and 218 for the controller 206. Actuating the function switch 216 causes the controller to encode a data frame comprising a security code and a first function code and actuating the function switch 218 causes the controller to encode a data frame comprising a security code and a second function code. When a data frame, including the security code, is received by the receiving unit 174 and decoded, the controller 178 will activate the activation switch 184 or the activation switch 186 to connect or disconnect the respective light source 188, 190 to or from the power supply 182 as directed by the function code. The illuminator 172 may, for example, include an emitter of visible light and an emitter of non-visible light for signaling that may be selected by actuating the appropriate function switch. Wireless activation of an illuminator containing its own receiving unit and power source also permits activation of the illumination device, for example, illuminator 172, while the illuminator is detached from the firearm permitting, for example, the user to illuminate an environment without giving away the user's position.

Wireless activation of illumination device for shoulder fired firearms permits convenient location of the user operable function switches for greater utility of the illumination system and avoids connecting cables that can snag on obstacles interfering with use of the firearm and endangering its user.

The detailed description, above, sets forth numerous specific details to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, components, and circuitry have not been described in detail to avoid obscuring the present invention.

All the references cited herein are incorporated by reference.

The terms and expressions that have been employed in the foregoing specification are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims that follow. 

1. An illumination system for a shoulder fired firearm, said illumination system comprising: (a) a transmission unit comprising: (i) a transmission unit controller outputting a datum including a function code in response to actuation of a function transducer by a user of said firearm; and (ii) a transmitter wirelessly transmitting said datum outputted by said controller; (b) a receiving unit comprising: (i) a receiver for receiving said transmitted datum; (ii) a receiving unit controller outputting an activation signal corresponding to said function code included in said transmitted datum; and (c) an activation transducer responsive to said activation signal from said receiving unit controller to alter an output of an illuminator.
 2. The illumination system of claim 1 wherein said illuminator comprises a flashlight.
 3. The illumination system of claim 2 wherein said flashlight further comprises said receiving unit.
 4. The illumination system of claim 1 wherein said illuminator comprises a laser.
 5. The illumination system of claim 4 wherein said laser further comprises said receiving unit.
 6. The illumination system of claim 1 wherein said illuminator is attached to one of a rifle, a shotgun and a submachine gun.
 7. The illumination system of claim 1 wherein said transmission unit is contained within a firing handgrip of said firearm.
 8. The illumination system of claim 1 wherein said datum further comprises a security code stored by said transmission unit controller and said receiver outputs said activation signal only if said security code corresponds to a receiving unit security code stored by said receiving unit.
 9. An illumination system for a shoulder fired firearm, said illumination system comprising: (a) a transmission unit comprising: (i) a transmission unit controller outputting a datum including a first function code in response to actuation of a first function transducer by a user of said firearm and outputting a datum including a second function code in response to actuation of a second function transducer; and (ii) a transmitter wirelessly transmitting said datum outputted by said controller; (b) a receiving unit comprising: (i) a receiver for receiving said transmitted datum; and (ii) a receiving unit controller outputting a first activation signal corresponding to said first function code if said first function code is included in said transmitted datum and outputting a second activation signal corresponding to said second function code if said second function code is included in said transmitted datum; (c) a first activation transducer responsive to said first activation signal from said receiving unit controller to alter an output of a first illuminator; and (d) a second activation transducer responsive to said second activation signal from said receiving unit controller to alter an output of a second illuminator.
 10. The illumination system of claim 9 wherein said transmitted datum further comprises a security code stored by said transmission unit controller and said receiving unit outputs one of said first activation signal and said second activation signal only if said security code in said transmitted datum corresponds to a receiving unit security code.
 11. The illumination system of claim 9 wherein one of said first illuminator and said second illuminator comprises a flashlight.
 12. The illumination system of claim 11 wherein said flashlight further comprises said receiving unit.
 13. The illumination system of claim 9 wherein one of said first illuminator and said second illuminator comprises a laser.
 14. The illumination system of claim 13 wherein said laser further comprises said receiving unit.
 15. The illumination system of claim 1 wherein said transmission unit is contained within a stock of said firearm.
 16. An illumination system for a shoulder fired firearm, said illumination system comprising: (a) a transmission unit comprising: (i) a transmission controller outputting a first datum comprising a first security code and a first function code in response to actuation of a first function transducer and outputting a second datum comprising a second security code and a second function code in response to actuation of a second function transducer; and (ii) a transmitter wirelessly transmitting said one of said first datum and said second datum outputted by said transmission controller; (b) a first receiving unit comprising: (i) a first receiver for receiving a datum transmitted by said transmitter; (ii) a first receiving unit controller outputting a first activation signal if a transmitted datum received by said first receiver includes said first function code and a security code corresponding to a first receiver security code stored by said first receiving unit controller; (c) a first activation transducer responsive to said first activation signal to alter an output of a first illuminator. (d) a second receiving unit comprising: (i) a second receiver for receiving a datum transmitted by said transmitter; (ii) a second receiving unit controller outputting a second activation signal if a transmitted datum received by said second receiver includes said second function code and a security code corresponding to a second receiver security code stored by said second receiving unit controller; and (e) a second activation transducer responsive to said second activation signal to alter an output of a second illuminator.
 17. The illumination system of claim 16 wherein one of said first illuminator and said second illuminator comprises a flashlight.
 18. The illumination system of claim 17 wherein said flashlight further comprises said receiving unit.
 19. The illumination system of claim 16 wherein one of said first illuminator and said second illuminator comprises a laser.
 20. The illumination system of claim 19 wherein said laser further comprises said receiving unit. 